his voice was full of laughter. They hung back.

"What have you got?" cried Jack.

The answer was as startling as an explosion: "A girl!"

A swift reaction passed over the four. They sprang to his aid.

"Hold the light up!" Sam cried breathlessly. "Shand, grab her feet.
I've got her arms locked. God! Bites like a cat! Carry her in." This
ended in a peal of laughter.

Between them Shand and Sam carried her toward the door, staggering and
laughing wildly. Their burden wriggled and plunged like a fish. They
had all they could do, for she was both slippery and strong. They got
her inside at last. The others crowded after, and they closed the door
and barred it.

Sam, usually so quiet and wary in this company, was transformed by
excitement. "Now, let's see what we've got!" he cried. "Put her feet
down. Look out or she'll claw you!"

They set her on her feet and stood back on guard. But as soon as she
was set free her resistance came to an end. She did not fly at either,
but coolly turned her back and shook herself and smoothed her plumage
like a ruffled bird. This unexpected docility surprised them afresh.
They watched her warily.

"A woman!" they cried in amazed tones. "Where did she drop from?"

They instantly ascribed all the supernatural manifestations to this
human cause. Everything was made clear, and a load of terror lifted
from their breasts.

The suddenness of the reaction dizzied them a little. Each man blushed
and frowned, remembering his late unmanly terrors. They were amazed,
chagrined and tickled all at once.

Big Jack strode to her and held the lantern up to her face. "She's a
beauty!" he cried.

A silence succeeded that word. Four of the five men present measured
his mates with sidelong looks. Sam shrugged and, resuming his ordinary
circumspect air, turned away.

CHAPTER IV

THE VISITOR

The girl turned an indifferent, walled face toward the fire, refusing
to look at any of the men. Her beauty grew upon them momentarily.
Their amazement knew no bounds that one like this should have been led
to their door out of the night.

"Well," said Big Jack, breaking the silence at last. "It was a rough
welcome we give you, miss. We thought you was a spook or something
like that. But we're glad to see you."

She gave no sign of having heard him.

"Was it you whistled through the keyhole and tossed a stone down the
chimney?" demanded Husky.

No answer was forthcoming.

"I'm sorry if we